On PM turf, Brand Atal shines with stardust

A HUNDRED or so young men crowd around the open truck, their hands clutching not BJP flags but slips of paper. Oblivious to the exhortations...

A HUNDRED or so young men crowd around the open truck, their hands clutching not BJP flags but slips of paper. Oblivious to the exhortations to shout ‘‘Atal Behari Vajpayee ki jai’’, they crane their necks to get a glimpse of the star and stretch out their hands for autographs. As the truck finally sets off from the Munshi Pulia Chauraha, carrying Vivek and Suresh Oberoi on their roadshow through Lucknow this evening, a cynical old man quips: ‘‘Yeh dekho, neta khud jab jeet nahin sakte hain to film sitaron ko bhej dete hain (When leaders cannot win, they send filmstars.)’’

Few here

would agree with the old man’s prognosis but almost everyone is mystified why Bollywood has-beens and wannabes are being deployed to campaign in the PM’s constituency. Atalji, after all, is the BJP’s biggest brand name — his voice is being used to woo voters on the phone; his face is plastered across every wall in the country; and his image is being flogged by every NDA constituent. So why does he need filmstars to campaign for him?

According to the man on the street, ‘‘Atalji doesn’t want to take any chances.’’ As Manvir Singh, one of the bystanders at Munshi Pulia Chauraha, says: ‘‘Last time, his margin came down a lot. He doesn’t want it to come down further this time. That is why he is doing everything he can to get votes.’’ His friend, a government employee, adds: ‘‘We are not happy with the BJP this time, had it been any other candidate, it would have been difficult to win the seat.’’

Story continues below this ad

The lack of enthusiasm among voters, coupled with the impact of the sari kand, seems to have unnerved the local BJP which has lined up a string of filmstars to campaign here.

Not everyone is happy with the deluge. A senior leader admitted it sent out a ‘‘bad signal’’ but hinted Pramod Mahajan, ‘‘who is close to Bombay filmstars’’, is responsible. But he also revealed that the party had prepared a fallback plan in case the rumour about Priyanka Gandhi contesting from Lucknow had come true.

The BJP says a divided Opposition and the ‘‘mentally disturbed’’ Ram Jethmalani will ensure Vajpayee wins by a ‘‘thumping majority’’. But given the sullen mood of the electorate, they are not willing to bank solely on the ‘‘Atal wave’’ even in Atal’s own constituency.